Lebanon man shot by home intruder

Thursday

Jan 10, 2013 at 3:15 AM

By Samantha AllenStaff Writer

ROCHESTER, N.H. — Officials closed off an area around the Big Lots retail store on Milton Road Tuesday afternoon as Rochester police towed away a black SUV believed to be related to a home invasion and shooting in Lebanon, Maine, earlier that day.

At about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, it is believed a home invasion occurred at a Second Street home in Lebanon. By midafternoon, a residence at 11 Second St. was cordoned off with crime scene tape for what was being called an active criminal investigation.

WMUR-TV was reporting Tuesday night that the 41-year-old Lebanon homeowner had returned to his residence for lunch and encountered an armed intruder inside the home.

The homeowner was shot in the shoulder and is expected to survive, according to the WMUR report. In an interview with Foster’s Daily Democrat, the parent newspaper of the Sanford News, Lebanon Assistant Rescue Chief Jason Cole called the incident “unfortunate.” At 3 p.m., as Rochester officials were investigating a recovered black Ford Explorer at a shopping plaza, Cole confirmed officials were readying a LifeFlight helicopter at Skydive New England in Lebanon to transport a man in his mid-40s with injuries.

In a press release later, Cole referred to the incident as “a serious medical emergency” but would not reveal the circumstances. He told Foster’s the matter was a “law enforcement issue.” Cole noted the patient was transported to Maine Medical Center Trauma Center with assistance on scene from Frisbie Memorial Hospital.

In Rochester, a police official said the recovered vehicle, which was spotted around 2:30 p.m. and towed just before 4 p.m. from the business parking lot, would be towed back to Maine for processing. Area departments were asked to “be on the lookout” for a black F-150 pickup truck but later recovered the dark SUV. The vehicle recovered in Rochester is believed to be that of the shooting victim.

Police Lt. Gary Boudreau declined to comment as a K9 unit from Portsmouth combed the area behind the plaza for evidence.

The York County Sheriff’s Office could not be reached Tuesday evening for further comment, but the Middleton Police Department posted on Facebook that the public should be wary of a subject reportedly last seen at the Rochester Market Basket, next door to the Big Lots location, wanted in connection with a shooting. The posting described the while male suspect as wearing a “Cargill jacket and camo hat” and noted the subject could be violent if approached.